


The name of the game

by ashdorado



Category: The Young and the Restless
Genre: Alternate Universe - Different First Meeting, F/F, Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-24
Updated: 2017-12-24
Packaged: 2019-02-19 15:22:09
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,869
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13126452
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ashdorado/pseuds/ashdorado
Summary: Mariah doesn’t talk to strangers in bars, as a rule. But as she sees Devon starting to make his way through the crowd, she thinks it might be time she made an exception. Perhaps it’s the alcohol clouding her judgment, but before she can talk herself out of it, she’s striding over to the girl.“Hi,” she says brusquely, hand outstretched. “I’m Mariah.”Or a revisit of Mariah and Tessa's first meeting, that night at the Underground.





	The name of the game

**Author's Note:**

> This is honestly just some self-indulgent comedic fluff (you've been warned)... but I had fun writing it!
> 
> This story takes place the same night as Mariah and Tessa's first meeting at the Underground back in March, but in this "universe" Mariah has already been on a few dates with Devon by then.

Maybe this is life punishing Mariah for being out late at the Underground on a Wednesday night, she thinks to herself as she sees Devon walk into the room from where she’s seating, sipping on her second glass of wine for the night.

In that moment, she wishes she had trusted her initial gut-feeling, the day Devon had suggested they go on a date.

Dating Devon was safe, she remembers thinking. He was a friend, first of all. She knew him fairly well, and that made him a better candidate than the guys she kept matching with on Tinder. She thought he was cute, too. Maybe not her ideal type, but definitely up to her standards. Then, there was also the financial aspect. Not that she was a gold digger, but knowing that a potential suitor could fend for themselves and had their life together was obviously appreciated.

But then, Devon was also recently divorced from a woman who happened to be Mariah’s very temperamental boss. And more than that, Mariah had never felt like she and Devon had had any kind of romantic – or even sexual – chemistry.

So they ended up going on a date or two – what could go wrong, she had thought. That’s what dates are for, aren’t they? To check if two people have chemistry; to know if they could maybe like each other _like that_ … But as they made small talk and exchanged pleasantries over some _filet mignon_ and _cabernet sauvignon_ , Mariah had just… felt nothing. Zilch. Nada.

Mariah likes Devon. He is a good person, that’s undeniable. He is charming in his own way, but he just isn’t her cup of tea. So she can’t help but suddenly fold in on herself when she sees him standing there by the entrance, talking to Noah. She hasn’t seen him since that second and last date about a week ago. They’ve exchanged a few texts here and there and Mariah has tried to remain distant when answering him, but she isn’t sure he has gotten the memo yet. And she is sort of too much of a coward to say anything clear to his face. _I’m just not that into you_. Now, she _cannot_ say that, can she? She has thought about ghosting him, too, but has thought better of it since she is bound to keep running into him anyway. That very night being the case in point. Mariah just isn’t… _good_ at talking about this stuff.

What was supposed to be a chill, casual night hanging out with her brother and checking out new bands in town has suddenly taken a turn for the worse. She tries to find a way she could appear busy, or even better, on a date, so maybe he won’t come and talk to her. She casts a look around the bar to check out potential fake-partners. Unfortunately, most people are here with friends, and the few men sitting alone are either way to old or way too sleazy for Mariah to even try anything. She is almost resigned and ready to face Devon when she spots a girl about her age sitting alone at the bar. She reasons having some company is better than nothing and decides to try her luck.

Mariah doesn’t talk to strangers in bars, as a rule. But as she sees Devon starting to make his way through the crowd, she thinks it might be time she made an exception. Perhaps it’s the alcohol clouding her judgment, but before she can talk herself out of it, she’s striding over to the girl.

“Hi,” she says brusquely, hand outstretched. “I’m Mariah.”

The girl looks at her outstretched hand, then up to her face, her brows furrowed slightly in surprise.

“Hi Mariah…” She chuckles, shaking her hand hesitantly.

Mariah suddenly feels ridiculous, bothering that poor girl who certainly didn’t come to the Underground to be approached by some needy stranger. The girl is pretty, she notices. With dark hair and dark eyes sporting a heavy amount of eyeshadow, lips painted bright red. Mariah wonders briefly if she is one of the performers that night. Decides that _yes she is_ when she sees a guitar case resting on the side of her stool. Now she really feels like a bother… At this point, the honesty route might be her best option.

“Okay, I’ll be honest with you,” she says, leaning in a little closer so she doesn’t have to talk too loud. “There’s this guy that I’ve been dating briefly… and well, he just came in. Right now. And I wasn’t exactly planning on seeing him again, and I just… I thought maybe if I look busy enough he won’t come and talk to me…”

“Okay?” The girl looks amused.

“So… I really don’t want to bother you and _please_ tell me to fuck off if I’m overstepping, but would you mind pretending that you know me?”

“Of course.”

“Oh my god, thank you so much.” Relieved, Mariah sits down next to her quickly. “You’re my hero. Can I get you anything to drink?”

“You really don’t have to…”

“It’s only fair. Come on, it’s on me.”

“Ok, fine. Then I’ll have what you’re having.”

“Excellent choice…” Mariah moves her hand around in the air, tries to remember the girl’s name; realizes she has never told her. The girl seems to get it.

“Tessa.”

“Tessa,” she repeats, “nice to meet you.”

“And nice to meet _you_ , Mariah.”

They give each other _that smile_ ; the smile girls give each other when they just know how it is: with guys, with life in general. Mariah orders a glass of wine for Tessa and another one for herself. They cheer and sit in silence for a moment, neither one quite sure of how to proceed in this situation.

“So, you’re here to sing tonight, aren’t you?”

Tessa nods and smiles. “What gave me away?”

“Well… that guitar first of all!” Tessa looks down at the case at her feet, “And... I don’t know, you just look like you would be.”

“Really? It’s the eyeshadow, isn’t it?”

“It’s part of it, for sure.”

Tessa laughs in agreement. “I might have overdone it a little… I’m still new to all this.” Tess adds with a grimace.

“No! No, it looks good! You look amazing.”

“Thank you.” Tessa winks at her, and Mariah feels herself blushing. Is Tessa flirting with her? Did she think that _Mariah_ was flirting with her first? She wasn’t though, she was just… stating a fact.  She can’t help but look down at her glass of wine, not sure where to go from there. She doesn’t have to think for long as Tessa starts the conversation again.

“So,” she says. “What was the deal with that guy you dated?”

“There was no deal, per se. I just… didn’t feel a connection, you know?”

“Ah.” Tessa says, nodding. “Happens to the best of us.”

Mariah laughs.

“What about you? How did you know about this place?”

“I’m giving guitar lessons to this kid who happens to be…the owner’s cousin? I think?”

“Oh, you know Noah?”

“Yes, Noah! Well, I know his cousin, mostly. Reed. But yeah, they told me about the event. What about you, do you hang out here often?”

“I do. As it happens, I am Noah’s sister.”

“Oh! You're Reed’s cousin, too?”

“No, no… Noah and I have the same mom but different fathers… It’s complicated, trust me you don’t wanna know…”

Tessa laughs at that, seems to understand.

“By the way, if you have to go and prep or something, please just go. I can take care of myself. Probably. I’m not usually that needy or ask strangers for help. I don’t know what came over me…” Mariah hears herself babbling; feels very much… uncool.

“I don’t need to go quite yet, don’t worry. And I’m glad you came to see me! I was getting bored, to be honest.” Tessa smiles.

“Really?”

“Yep.”

“Well, I’m glad this is a win-win for both of us then.”

“Definitely.”

Tessa gives her another smile as she takes another sip. One of these smiles that Mariah isn’t sure how to interpret, exactly. She is probably reading way too much into this. Tessa is just being friendly…

Mariah is having a way better time than what she was expecting. It’s not that often that she just hits it off with someone so easily. Tessa arches an eyebrow then, and Mariah hopes that her thoughts are not painted all over her face. She feels herself blush again, chastises herself for being such a hot mess.

“So…are you seeing anyone?” It’s out of Mariah’s mouth before she can think better of it. Now Tessa will _for sure_ think that she is flirting with her. Why would she even ask this? It’s none of her business.

Tessa smiles at that and her eyes crinkle a little. Mariah thinks she looks adorable.

“Not at the moment, no. What about you? Anyone else apart from that ex-date of yours?”

“Ah,” Mariah answers self-deprecatingly. “No no, I’m not exactly… a dating expert, really.”

“Why not?”

“I’m just…not good with, you know, _feelings_. All that stuff.”

“Maybe you just haven’t met the right person yet.”

There’s that look again, and Mariah doesn’t know why she feels flattered that Tessa is –probably– flirting with her. Mariah is not gay… She is not into women, even; she thinks. She’s probably just happy that someone might be interested in her like that. A cute girl, on top of everything. Not that Mariah has thought about it, how Tessa looks. It’s just an objective statement. Tessa is super gorgeous, she doesn’t need to think about it to just… _know_.

“Yeah, I don’t know about tha- Oh no, wait!”

“What?”

“I think Devon saw me. The guy I dated. I think he saw me.”

Mariah tries to casually look over her shoulder to make sure while Tessa is craning her neck, trying to spot the mysterious man.

“Is he the guy with the brown jacket? Black, rather short, with a goatee?”

“That would be him, yes.”

Tessa makes a face, then.

“What? What’s wrong?”

“I think he is coming over here,” Tessa says then.

“Crap! Crap, crap.” Mariah ducks her head in a vain attempt to hide. It’s no use, and she knows it, but she can’t think of anything else to do. She’s mentally steeling herself for what’s coming; is already thinking about excuses she might tell him, about _why she is busy next week, and yes also the week after that_.

What Mariah hasn’t braced herself for is a pair of red lips pressing against hers. Mariah kisses back instinctively, though she isn’t quite sure what’s happening. She is aware of Tessa’s hand on her thigh, aware of the music and the people talking and laughing in the background. She remembers Devon and suddenly knows very well what this is about, so she leans in towards Tessa a bit more, brings her hand up to the side of Tessa’s neck.

Apparently encouraged by Mariah’s response, Tessa deepens the kiss hesitantly and Mariah is suddenly very aware of the fact that she’s never kissed a woman _like that_ before, and very aware that she is standing right there, _frenching a girl_ , in her brother’s very own bar. But while conflicting ideas rush through her head, she doesn’t pull away. She kisses right back. _Tessa is a great kisser_ is another thought that comes to her head. Maybe it’s the wine, Mariah thinks, but she doesn’t really care what Noah or Devon might think if they see her. If anything, Mariah is suddenly fueled by the idea that Tessa decided to kiss her, so she brings her other hand up in Tessa’s hair, rakes her nails slowly on the side of her head, almost feels Tessa hum into the kiss.

Mariah almost forgets the scheme at hands, focusing instead of soft lips and tongue, when she feels Tessa pull away.

“I think he’s gone,” she says then. Right. Mariah just nods, slightly dazed by what just happened, happy yet indifferent to the current whereabouts of Devon. She looks down, then back at Tessa. Tessa is looking at the stage, taking another sip from her glass of wine. Mariah wonders then if Tessa only kissed her to help her with the Devon situation, yet thinks that no one in their right mind would have kissed her like that just to keep some odd guy at bay. She also wonders why she is worrying about this; worries about the fact that it’s worrying her.

Tessa is still looking away, and she doesn’t know if Tessa doesn’t want to make Mariah uncomfortable, or if Tessa is uncomfortable because she thinks she has made Mariah uncomfortable.

“Thanks,” Mariah says eventually. “I think it helped.”

Tessa looks back at her then, obviously conflicted. “I’m sorry if maybe… I hope I didn’t make you… I thought it was a good idea at the time.” It’s Tessa’s time to be babbling now.

“No, no! It’s fine! It was… I just, wasn’t expecting it, that’s all. But I mean… That was totally…” Mariah feels herself blush bright red, hopes that Tessa cannot see it in the dim light of the Underground.

Tessa smiles at her then, is about to say something when Noah suddenly appears behind the bar to tell Tessa it’ll be her turn in a few minutes. She turns towards Mariah and smiles apologetically.

“Go, go! It’s fine. Break a leg!”

She watches Tessa grab her guitar and make her way towards the stage. She goes back to her drink then, and gets startled when she notices Noah, still behind the bar, staring at her as he wipes some glasses. He has this knowing smile on his face and so she stares right back, silently daring him to say anything.

“What?!” she says eventually.

“Nothing.” The smirk on his face says otherwise. She doesn’t have time to dwell on it, as soon the crowd erupts in applause and cheers and it’s time for Tessa to walk on stage and perform one of her original songs.

Tessa sings really well, she thinks. Mariah likes her style, too. She cannot help but listen attentively, almost transfixed, as the chorus starts for a second time.

“So what’s up with you and Tessa?” she barely hears Noah ask her.

“What do you mean?”

“Well, you know… I didn’t know you were into chicks.”

“I’m not!” she says a little too fast to be convincing, even to her own ears. “It wasn’t… like that.”

“Just saying, I’m all for it, ok?” Noah adds, and Mariah somehow finds comfort in those words. Which is ridiculous, since she isn’t… into women. Is she? She would know!

“Plus, you guys were really hot together.”

“Ugh, Noah! Gross!” she almost grabs the rag he is holding to slap him with it, and he just laughs, retreating to the other side of the bar. She scans the crowd, then, wondering if she managed to escape Devon after all. She finds him across the room, sitting in a booth with a couple of people she doesn’t recognize. She guesses she should be okay for a little while.

Mariah cheers along with the crowd when Tessa’s time on stage comes to a close. She wonders if she’ll come back towards Mariah or if she’ll go hang out with the other performers she sees on the other side of the room. As it happens, she sees Tessa walk back in her direction and soon enough she seats back down on the stool next to Mariah, as if to continue where they had left of.

Mariah congratulates her on her performance and they start talking again, but something’s changed now. There’s something hanging in the air between them,  and it doesn’t help that Mariah can’t stop thinking about the kiss; thinking about the way she felt; what it meant. But she can’t keep thinking about that—Tessa’s just a stranger (sort of) that she met in a bar. A female stranger, who was kind enough to help her out. Mariah reasons that once she goes home, she probably won’t see Tessa for a while — or maybe ever. She gets sad at the idea. She’s bound to run into her at the Underground at least, isn’t she?

Eventually the bar is about to close for the night. Mariah isn’t sure how to say goodbye, and she doesn’t really want to.

“Thanks for tonight,” she says, offering Tessa an awkward smile. “You really helped me out.”

Tessa shrugs. “No problem. Thanks for the drink and the company.”

“It was, uh- my pleasure.” The words feel dragged in Mariah’s mouth. There’s only so much time she can buy at this point.

They make their way outside with the last few customers who start to scatter about. Mariah takes out her phone to call a Uber.

“Well, goodnight then, I guess,” Mariah says, with no more strings to pull to make the evening last a little longer. She looks at her phone. It’s almost 1am by now and she knows she’ll want to die in the morning when her alarm goes off at 6:30am, but she can’t be bothered enough to care right now.

“About that kiss,” Tessa starts, and Mariah’s heart speeds up instantly.

“Don’t worry about it!” she cuts in before Tessa can say anything else. “You really helped me, so...  No harm done. Thanks again.” Mariah sees Tessa’s expression falter momentarily. She knows why. Of course she knows why. Why is Mariah like this?

Tessa smiles but it doesn’t reach her eyes. “No problem. Good night, then”

“Good night.” Mariah waves awkwardly and Tessa leaves in the direction of the city center.

Mariah feels helpless as she watches her go. She feels so stupid, and mad at herself for just ruining everything, for sabotaging herself. She doesn’t even know what she really wants; doesn’t want to think about what she feels and what it could mean. But she knows that’s not how she wanted her night to end.

“Tessa, wait!” it’s out of her mouth before she can dwell on it any further.

Tessa turns around, a frown on her face. Mariah stays right where she is for a second, then walks, heart pounding, in Tessa’s direction.

“What were you going to say? About the kiss?”

“What?” Tessa looks at her, confused, as Mariah finally catches up to her.

“Before I interrupted you. What were you going to say?”

Tessa must see the look on Mariah’s face because realisation downs onto her features.

“I was going to say, that… I didn’t do it just to help you.”

“You didn’t?”

“No.”

Mariah should say something. She knows she should. But she can’t. She feels frozen as Tessa just looks at her expectantly. Hasn’t she figured out that Mariah is hopeless with that kind of stuff, yet?

“No, I kissed you because I wanted to.” Tessa adds then, sensing Mariah’s discomfort. “And I thought maybe you wanted me to as well?”

Again, Mariah cannot bring herself to say anything, and the silence stretches between them.

“But then maybe I totally picked up on the wrong signals? If so, please don’t worry about it.” Tessa chuckles nervously, clearly unsure of where this is going.

It takes a moment for Mariah’s mouth to catch up to her brain. “No,” she says after a while.

Tessa frowns again then, and Mariah wishes she could just get a grip already.

“I mean, I don’t know… what kind of signals- I was sending. Or trying to send, rather. I just… I know that you didn’t… pick the wrong ones.”

Tessa smiles then, and suddenly Mariah thinks she looks more beautiful than she has all night. “Okay.”

“Okay,” Mariah repeats, as a smile starts tugging at her lips. “So.”

“So.”

“We could... do it again, if you want?” Mariah suggests, surprised at her own forwardness. “Or, you know what? I could give me my number. Yes. I’ll give you my number and you know… you can just... call me. When you…you...”

“Want to do it again?” Tessa finishes for her, a knowing smile on her lips.

Mariah laughs.

“You can give me your number,” Tessa says, “but how about I do this first.”

With that, Tessa just takes a step forward and kisses Mariah.

Mariah kisses her back and everything goes still for a second. Her arms find their way around Tessa’s neck in an instant, a hand tangling in her hair. Tessa brings her closer as she tugs on the lapels of Mariah’s jacket, deepening the kiss.

“I just-” Mariah pulls away for a brief second. “I need to tell you that I have no idea what I’m doing.”

Tessa laughs at that. “You’re doing pretty well so far,” she teases.

Mariah smiles. “No, I mean. Girls. I’ve never… I don’t usually…”

“It’s okay.” Tessa smiles reassuringly, understanding where this was leading.

It’s Mariah’s turn to kiss her then, also trying to reassure Tessa in her own way; to show her that she’s here, that she wants this. Wherever this may be going. They kiss a while longer, pressed together in the chilly air of this late-March night, when they hear someone clearing their throat behind them.

They barely have time to register what’s happening when they see Noah walking towards them, a smirk still on his face.

“I figure you’ve met my sister.” He tells Tessa who laughs awkwardly as she untangles herself from Mariah.

“And I figure you know my idiot of a brother.” Mariah answers, annoyed at the interruption.

He laughs at that, before nodding. “I guess I deserved that. No but in all seriousness, sorry to interrupt but I thought I’d ask just in case, if you girls need a ride?”

Tessa and Mariah look at each other, then back at Noah.

“I live nearby, it’s ok. But Mariah you should go, you told me you needed a lift.”

“Are you sure?” Mariah answers, “We can drop you off on the way, though. It’s safer.”

“Come on Tessa, you heard the lady,” Noah adds. Mariah can hear it in his voice. The _smugness_. Once they’re both alone together, she knows she’ll never hear the end of it.

They drop Tessa off a few blocks away. Before she goes, she takes Mariah’s phone and enters her number in her contacts. Mariah feels a little foolish at the warm feeling that courses through her as she watches Tessa do it. She feels even more foolish knowing that this is all happening in front of her brother.

“Call me?” Tessa says before dropping a kiss on Mariah’s cheek and getting off the car, waving at them before buzzing herself into a building.

“So… what was that?” Noah says as they drive off in the direction of the ranch. “The part about you not liking girls?”

Mariah slaps his arm playfully. “Shut up and just drive.”

Maybe life works in mysterious ways sometimes, she thinks to herself. Seeing Devon walk into the room from where was seating at the Underground, late at night on a Wednesday, might not have been life punishing her, after all.

 

 

**Author's Note:**

> Consider this my Christmas contribution to the fandom! haha. Happy Holidays!


End file.
